FitSugar

7 Most Effective Exercises

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:45:00 -0800

When it comes to exercises, not all are created equal. While we all may have our favorites, some are better known to be more effective at getting the job done than others. WebMD has created a list of their top seven (odd number, eh?) most effective exercises and here are highlights:

Walking. Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories. And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.
Interval training. Whether you're a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.
Squats. Strength training is essential, the experts say. And our experts tended to favor strength-training exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, are an excellent example.

There are more effective exercises so read more.

Lunges. Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: gluteals, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Lunges are a bit more advanced than squats helping to improve your balance as well.
Push-ups. If done correctly, the push-up can strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the core trunk muscles, all at one time.
Abdominal Crunches. Who doesn't want firm, flat abs? Experts say that when done correctly, the familiar crunch (along with its variations) is a good choice to target them.
Bent-over Row. Talk about bang for the buck: This exercise works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps.

So which do you do? I do all seven - w00t, w00t!

Source

Don't Just Stand There! Burn Some Calories

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:30:00 -0800

There are plenty of times during the day when you may find yourself standing around. Maybe you're waiting for the bus or subway, riding the elevator by yourself, or maybe sautéing veggies. Even though you are standing in place, you don't have to stand still. There are plenty of ways for you to move your body around and burn a few extra calories. Some of these you may want to hold off on and try in the privacy of your own home.

Stand with your feet together and lift both heels up and down.
Stand with your feet under your hips and sway from side to side, and do circular motions with your hips clockwise and then counterclockwise.
Bend your leg behind you, grab onto your foot and stretch the front of your right quad. Do both sides. Here's more details on this quad stretch.
Bend one knee and kick your foot back behind you, and then quickly alternate between sides.
Stand tall and alternate bending one knee up to your chest and then the other. Do slow, controlled movements to work your abs, or make the moves quicker to get your heart rate up.

Want to see what else you can do? Then read more

To warm up your hips and tone your abs, stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width distance apart, and do figure eights with your hips (it's a belly dancing move).
Run or hop in place.
Do side leg raises to work your outer thighs.
Do some squats.
If you're in line at the grocery store, pick up something in your cart and do bicep curls.
Do tree pose or another balancing yoga posture.

Alright, maybe most of these you wouldn't want to try out in public, but you can always try them during a commercial break or something.

Source

Pool Exercises

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 10:16:11 -0800

Swimming is a great form of exercise, but when you're in the pool, you can get bored and dizzy just swimming back and forth doing laps. Why not try these exercises to work different muscle groups. You can also use them to warm up or cool down.

Hold on to the side of the pool and work on kicking your legs - do flutter kicks and frog kicks.
You can also use the edge of the pool to keep your balance while doing leg lifts to work the muscles in your tummy, legs and bottom. On each leg, do 10 sets each of lifting your leg in front of you, to the side, and behind you.
Run in the water to increase your heart rate.
Tread water to improve your arm and leg strength.
Just for fun, try doing a handstand in the water - it'll be much easier to stay balanced.
View 2 Photos ›

No Equipment Necessary: Balancing Windmill

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:47:10 -0800

Squats are essential in your strength-training tool belt if you want to tone your booty and thighs. Here's a variation that will also challenge your sense of balance and strengthen your core.

This is a four-part exercise. To see all the moves and learn the details on doing this exercise keep reading.

No Equipment Necessary: Tabletop Lift

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:57 -0700

Tabletop may look easy (shown in the photo on the left), but once you hold it for a while, you'll feel your thighs, booty, and triceps burning. It's also a great exercise that will open your shoulders and chest. Here's a variation that will strengthen your core and increase flexibility in your lower back and hamstrings.

To give it a try read more.

Start off sitting on your bum, so your hands are planted eight inches behind you. Bend your knees and place your heels about a foot away from your hips. Make sure they are hips-width distance apart.
Inhale and lift your hips off the ground so your torso is parallel with the floor and your arms are straight. Your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders and your ankles underneath your knees, so make small adjustments if you need to. Lower your head behind you to increase the stretch in your chest and neck.
Hold for a complete breath, and then keeping your arms straight, exhale to lower your hips and straighten your legs, so your hips are hovering above the floor. Engage your abs and try keep your spine long as you balance on your heels and hands. After a complete breath, inhale and push yourself back into the first position.
Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps, flowing from one to the other, pivoting on your hands and heels. To make this move more challenging, hold each position for longer.

I love a full body exercise, don't you?

Bone Health Requires Some Specific Exercise

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0800

Turns out if you want to keep your bones healthy, you'd better start young and be specific about which exercise you choose. The New York Times reveals the findings of a new study which indicates that, contrary to popular belief, "any and all activity" may not benefit your bones.

In fact, as researchers investigate the effect of exercise on bone health, it has become increasingly clear that various kinds of exercise produces varying results on bone conditioning. Until recently, researchers believed that the impact of running, or any similar high-impact exercise, would transform the bone, "deforming" it just slightly. As a result of running, the bone would give slightly to the force of the physical activity, and the bone cells would stretch in response and adapt to the repeated exercise by adding cells and becoming denser. But this is not the case. In actuality, researchers have now found that the bone cells don't stretch; instead, when the bone bends, it "squeezes bone fluid" from one part of the bone "matrix" to another, and it's this extra fluid that causes the cells to add denser bone in response.

The key is that only certain types of exercise produce this kind of bone-bending, and the subsequent response to add dense bone-building. Says Alexander G. Robling, an assistant professor in the department of anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University School of Medicine, "large forces released in a relatively big burst” are crucial to building healthy bones, which is why activities like weight lifting won't help bone-bend or produce stronger, denser bones. But the exercises that will? Running, brisk walking at a fast pace, and surprisingly, repeated jumping.

Get on the Ball: Circling Plank

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:47:57 -0800

Plank is one of my favorite exercises because it really targets your upper body and core. Plus there are so many challenging variations such as plank jumping jacks and walking elbow plank, so you mix up your routine and never get bored. Here's another variation that will really work your lower abs, so grab an exercise ball and give it a try.

Music: "Faith I Do Believe" by Rusted Root

For detailed instructions on this move, keep reading

Why Exercise Won't Help You Lose Weight . . . Sort Of

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:36 -0800

There have been a lot of reports in the last year confirming that contrary to popular belief, not all exercise leads to significant weight loss. If you want to shed pounds, it mostly comes down to diet. It’s no surprise that changing your diet can help you lose weight, but for decades, many people believed that exercise was the best pathway to a slimmer, fitter you.

Today the New York Times added to the news that exercise doesn’t significantly aid in weight loss by reporting the results of an exercise and obesity study. The study followed a group of 58 obese individual who underwent three months of supervised aerobic activity but didn’t change their diets at all. And while the group lost an average of seven pounds, many participants barely lost three.

I admit that when all of these studies started coming up I was a little shocked, but it turns out that high intensity workouts mainly burn carbs, not just fat.

To hear what type of exercise may maximize fat loss, read more.

The article explains: "'The message of our work is really simple,' although not agreeable to hear, said Edward Melanson, PhD, the lead author of the study. 'It all comes down to energy balance,' or, as you might have guessed, calories in and calories out. People 'are only burning 200 or 300 calories' in a typical 30-minute exercise session, Melanson points out. 'You replace that with one bottle of Gatorade.'"

Fat loss can be maximized, but it’s a matter of how you approach your workout. To do this, work out at a lower intensity in your fat-burning zone, which is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. For most people this zone falls between 105-134 beats per minute. Melanson’s study also found that once weight is lost from reduced calorie intake, exercise might prevent it from coming back by resetting metabolic pathways that stop the body from wanting to store fat.

The research is interesting, but should not dissuade any of us from our fitness goals. The benefits of exercise reach far beyond weight loss - it helps the brain function better, reduces stress, creates a toned body, and is important for healthy heart function.

Weekend Workout: Three Moves for a Healthy Back

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:30:25 -0800

You may not be able to see it, but that doesn't mean your should neglect it. I am talking about your back. A strong back is an essential part of a strong core, and it can help you maintain proper posture and prevent pain. Grab a mat and give these three moves a try that will strengthen and increase flexibility in your back. Repeat all three exercises for a total of three rounds.

Cat Cow

Superman Booty Lifts

Camel Against the Wall

Still itching for more mini-workouts? Check out these Weekend Workouts to learn how to tone other areas of your body.

Get on the Ball: Saddlebag Busting Leg Lifts

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:32:08 -0800

If you're unhappy with the extra bit of padding on the sides of your thighs right by your bum, here's a move that can help smooth out your saddlebags, which I affectionately call my lower love handles. You can't spot-reduce the area, but toning sure does help.

To learn how to do this exercise, read more.

Come onto your knees and bring an exercise ball next to your right thigh. Rest your right arm on the outside of the ball and lean your weight into the ball. Now your right thigh is in a diagonal line.
Extend your left leg straight out and flex your foot. Balance your weight on both the ball and your right knee as you lift your left leg up toward the ceiling. Try to raise your left foot so it's as high as your hip.
Then with control, lower your leg so your toes barely touch the floor.
This counts as one rep. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 reps on this side and then repeat with the left leg.